Posted: 6/13/2006 5:14:36 PM EDT
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Hi everyone! I just registered and said earlier in the member intro thread that I would share some pics of my rifles. Here they are: http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR1.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR2.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR3.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR4.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR5.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/FNSPR100yardgroup.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/AR152.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/AR151.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/Mauser1.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/Mauser2.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/Mauser3.jpg The first pics are of a FN SPR A1 with a 24" chrome-lined non-fluted barrel,McMillan A3 stock,Harris Ultralight bipod,and an Aimpoint holographic sight. I'm keeping the Aimpoint on the rifle until I get a scope. I'm looking for a high power scope(at least 15x) with target turrets and if possible a Mil-Dot reticle or some other holdover reticle. I am waiting for either the Burris Fullfield 2 Tactical or higher magnification Burris Extreme XTRs but their release date keeps getting pushed back on MidwayUSA.com. Any suggestions would be appreciated! The group shown above was shot at 100 yards with 168 grain Black Hills match ammo when they test fired the rifle. I believe it's a 2 shot group but it may be 3 shots. The second rifle is a Bushmaster AR with the following parts:20" HBAR,DMPS Free Float Vented HG,DPMS Hi-Rider flattop,extended charging handle,Hogue pistol grip,A2 stock,and tweaked trigger(with help from speedfreak955). The scope is a Bushnell 4-12x40. The third rifle is a Mauser 98K in 8mm Mauser. I refinished the stock and installed a Timney trigger and Mojo rear peep sights. It's my first rifle also. Let me know what you think. |
I was gonna make fun of the red dot untill I saw you were saving for decent scope. Now I am gonna make fun of ya for wanting a Burris  . Naa, just kidding. I have several Leupolds that I "may" be willing to part with. VXIII 4.5-14-50 LRT and a 6.5-20-50 LRT (both with fine duplex reticle). The FN rifle is a good rifle for the price and bridges the gap from POS factory rifle to full blown custom. Nice collection and that FN should take you well over 10-15K rounds.You shoot handloads or factory ammo? |
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caver,how much do you want for the Leupolds? I "may" want them.heI shoot factory ammo now. But I want to start reloading. I have the following ammo:165 gr Ballistic Tip Ultramax,168 gr Black Hills match HP,147 gr FMJ Winchester, 150 gr FMJ American Eagle,and 180 gr Federal Fusion(for hog and deer hunting). What would be a good single stage press to start with? I was thinking about the Lee Anniversary Reloading Kit with a Modern Reloading Manual for $80. My gunsmith told me to get neck-size only dies for the best accuracy and he recommended the RCBS single stage because of their sheer size and strength. But the RCBS kits I've seen in stores cost over $300. Any help would be appreciated. |
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I will have to check the prices on my scopes before I commit to anything......just in the thinking stage right now. To be honest with you, to get started reloading the Lee will work fine for you, but over time you will upgrade everything. I started with that kit and the only thing I have left is the press and it will get upgraded as soon as the gun account recovers and I get a few more cans and projects finished. I got mine from Midway for $69 I believe on sale a few years ago. I recommend using Midway due to the fact that you WILL break the arms on the press (two sets so far) and they know this and will ship you the replacement parts with no hassle. Neck only sizing is good and all, but I choose to full length size personally and don't do too bad with them. I "try" to load most of my 308 ammo to SAMMI spec. so in a pinch it is usable in most any 308 rifle (ya know, in case of zombie attack ). I guess I have well over 3,000 (closer to 4K probably) rounds though my press by now and for a $69 setup that's not too bad.The only thing you will need to do to that FN is get it beaded by a good smith.....like J. Joplin (patriot arms) just out of Atl. You will also find out the rifle will shoot much better with Federal Gold Medal Match 168gn or 175gn ammo (costly too) |
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I might just get another single stage press if the Lee breaks a lot. I'm not desperate to get one but it would be nice to be able to reload. My brother has a .30-.30 that I could reload and good 8mm Mauser ammo gets expensive to shoot and I could load for softer recoil and better accuracy. What's done in the beading process? My gunsmith might be able to do it if I ask him. I mentioned the aluminum bedding on the rifle and he said he could check to see how good it was bedded. If the bedding was fine we'd just leave it be but if any movement was going on he would glass bed it. The .45 group shown above was shot with 168 gr Black Hills Match HP. The Federal will probably shoot about the same. Email me back if you decide to sell the Leupolds and we could go from there. |
I am sure he has paid the tax stamp on the nfa stuff baz.. Next time we talk I will give you the low down on that stuff unless one of these guys wants to go into it here... Thanks for taking it easy on him caver he is my nephew after all  Poor kid already has that against him  MMMMM Gun Pron and ..... wait for it .. PIE 
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Don't worry about me, you are not gonna offend me. The top rifle is a custom build by G.A. Precision out of Kansas City. It is a 308 with a AAC Cyclone sound suppressor. The green thing on the end is a mirage wrap (AKA: candom) to help with the heat given off by the can. I also have a 243 Win Match barrel for sniper comps. The AR on the bottom is a "Frankin AR". DPMS lower, don't remember what the LPK is, TAPCO stock, CMT upper/bolt, Bushmaster 1:7 11.5" barrel, Badger tac-latch, TIS sling plate, ARMS #40A? BUIS. It now has an old Holo site on it too. TAC-16 suppressor. BTW: Its all legal
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I broke in the FN yesterday with 40 rounds. For the first 10 times I cleaned in between each shot. Then five shots cleaned once. Five shot cleaned once. 10 shots cleaned once. 10 shots cleaned once. I cleaned the bore with a boresnake because a rod would take forever and it was already about 100 degress when I was shooting. My gunsmith recommended the above break-in procedure so it should be right. I hope the boresnake did good enough. What do ya'll think? I was trying to zero my scope while breaking the barrel in but the damn scope would not work right. I shot at 50 yards at first and I was hitting over a foot low. I knew that since the distance was not that long it would not take as many 1/4 clicks to move the point of impact up. But no matter how much I moved the scope up it would only move a few inches at the most. I was mad because I couldn't get the scope right but it's a cheap Bushnell scope from Walmart and I've already got a Burris Xtreme Tactical XTR 6-24x50 with a sunshade and Burris Xtreme extra high 30mm rings on the way now. It should be much better. Could anybody tell me if the extra high rings will be too high, just by looking at the pic below. The front of the scope is nearly touching the front of the mount and if I move it forward any the eye relief will just get worse. The scope on the rifle now is a 40mm with high Leupold ring.Thanks!http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/scopemount2.jpg http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/bazkook/scopemount.jpg |
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Baz, It takes MORE clicks the closer you are as a mil is equal to 1" at 100 yards... Think of it like a cone... If 1/4 minute then at 50 yards 1 click will be 1/8 and at 200 it will be 1/2 and at 400 yards.. Yup you guessed it 1" per click.... As for the scope get it as close to the bore axis "center" as possible... Now the optics.... If the glass is good and clear this is a distant second to will it box... Box being at 100 yards 4 clicks right, shoot 4 clicks down, shoot 4 clicks left, shoot and last 4clicks(1minute) come up shoot.. the group should be a 1" box in a perfect world with a perfect rifle.. In the real world what it will tell you is that your scope settings are accurate 4 clicks =1 minute and mainly repeatable.... This is why the military uses fixed power scopes with 1 moa adjustments, They are simply trying to hit a mansize target and the ranging is alot easier "even though it is more crude 1 click =1" at 100... MIL 1click =2" at 200 so on and so forth.. They also use fixed power scopes.... I would suggest this to anyone interested in high power shooting as this can help with ranging and the crosshairs can appear to move as the power is adjusted, due to objective lens movement and or imperfections... Speed And you guys thought I was just a hippie with pigtails
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Sorry, need to correct ya on that (Hippie). True MOA = 1.047" at 100 yds Shooters MOA = 1" at 100 yds Mil = 3.47" at 100 yds (IIRC) For most aplications you will not notice the difference in TMOA and SMOA, but at long ranges (ie 1000 yds) you will see it come into play. The military uses a bunch of different stuff. The last contract is for a bunch of new variable power S&B scopes. The box test: You need to sdjust the scope a minum of 25 minutes in each direction to do a proper box test. Most FN rifles will just shoot around a 1/2" at best. Combine that 1/2" with shooter error and you will have the four corners of your 1" box test over lapping. To do the box test properly set up a huge peice of cardboard at 50 or 100yds. Once you do the box test then make sure your scope comes back to zero. exaple: 2 shots at your target center, rotate elevations turet 100 clicks up and windage 100 clicks right shoot twice, rotate evevation turet 200 clicks down, shoot twice. Rotate windage 200 clicks left, shoot twice. Rotate elevation turet 200 clicks up, shoot twice. Now move your elevation turret down 100 clicks and windage right 100 clicks and shoot twice. The last two shoots should be touching the first two shots.
The only time you may need a fixed power scope is world class benchrest shooting. One of the reasons the military used fixed 10x scopes was the mildot only ranges on one power setting (10 power) that is called a second focal plain scope. The world has come a long way since then and any "quality" (ie: leupold Mark4 series) scope that is a variable power will be just fine thoughout the power range. Check out a first focal plain scope sometime (ie: US Optics), as the power is adjusted the reticle enlarges or shrinks. It is great for unknown distance matches as you do not have to keep your scope on a certain power to range targets. The fixed power scopes are a thing of the past now. |
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Barrel break-in. You did fine! Your barrel is chrome lined so just shoot that sucker with quality ammo (NOT mil surplus) and enjoy it. Probably needs to be cleaned every 200 rnds or so, just depends on how many tool marks were left in the barrel. Each barrel is like a fingerprint and has their own personality. In time you will find what your rifle likes and dislikes. If you have the Burris XTR scope put it on there. They are decent scopes and should last you a long time. My advice is to buy as much scope as you can afford. The Leupold MK4 line is a great start. Now get that cheap scope off that rifle 
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Oh, one more thing Go here -------> demigod.org/~zak/firearms/lr_optics.php and read that article by Zak Smith. LOADS of great info about scope selection and magnification ranges. |
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I stand corrected by .047 Most guys dont shoot past 4-500yards around here anyway.. As for the mil statement it was a typo on my part I meant moa.. I could be wrong but the military has used the fixed because of ruggedness and because of quick ranging a target... hence the mil-dot reticle Most U.S. made variable rate scope set at a different power will make an object a different size in comparison to the reticle... European scopes are a little different.. I think that the dope on your rifle is paramount but I think that reading wind, mirage, elevation changes, and cant are at least a large part in long distance shooting... I heard an old gunsmith state once that there is a certain point where you begin to separate pepper from fly shit I don't think that Bazkook is quite there yet.. I personally have alot more difficulty with elevation , wind and cant than with come ups.. Not trying to start an argument just trying to get the kid started... Speed |
If ya want an argument go tell accountant he drives an old crappy smoking hunk of junk not fit fer a junk yard  The main thing is just get some trigger time in. 
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No, I ordered the Burris Xtreme Tactical 30mm Extra High Rings. Here's a link to them: www.riflescopes.com/products/420166/burris_xtreme_tactical_30mm_rings.htm I hope they work because it's going to be a pain to return them and wait longer. I have the chance to change the order before it ships so please let me know if you think they will work fine. Thanks! |
I think you would be better ordering low rings given that the rail you have on there is already gonna raise the scope a good bit. You always want your scope as close to the axis of the barrel as long as it does not interfere with the operation of the rifle. |
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I already have high rings on the 40mm on the rifle now and the space between the bell and the scope mount is very thin. If i bring the scope forward some the eye relief will not be good for me. Do you think the medium or high rings will do? I'll talk to my gunsmith tomorrow,if he's in, and see what he says. UPDATE: My gunsmith recommended that I get the extra high rings and if there is too much of a gap between the bell and the barrel I could go with high. He said that you should be able to fit a dollar bill folded four times in between the bell and barrel without any force. He also took some measurements and determined that the extra high would be only 5/32" above the bore and that's not too high. |
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I now have a scope for my FN. It's a Meopta Meostar 4-16X44 with a Mil-Dot Reticle,target turrets,adjustable objective(wanted side focus but I'm happy enough),and a sunshade from a Simmons. I bought it for only $630 plus tax. The rings are 30mm High Weaver and were the best 30mm rings the place had. I bought the scope from Baine's Army Surplus in Milledgeville,if anybody's interested. They have great prices and the nicest employees. They had an AK with an underfolding stock up there for $600. One employee said that the rifle was brand new and he told me the company who made it but I don't remember the name. I could have bought a Zeiss Conquest 4-15X50mm with target turrets,side focus,and fine duplex from Fishing Creek Outfitters,a new store in Milledgeville near the bypass,for $700 but I wanted a higer magnification and a reticle that I can hold use to hold over. Hopefully the Meopta will serve me well.Let me know what you think.    
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Thanks man. What did you mean by SP? I figure you're talking about spelling and if so Meopta is the correct spelling. I'll definitely post a range report when I get a chance. I may zero it in this Sunday if my friend gives me green light to go to his grandpa's place,which has a good 500-600 yard stretch we can shoot down.
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In what intervals? 25 yards? 50? And what kind of ammo? 168 grain would be what I will shoot with most. If I zero for 100 yards with 168 gr will the zero be fairly close for the following ammo:147 gr WInchester FMJ,150 gr American Eagle FMJ BT,165 gr Ultramax Ballistic Tip,180 gr Federal Fusion. Where's the best place to put a ballistics chart on the rifle?I'd hate to buy the Leupold retractable ballistics chart and spend nearly $40 on something like that. Finally,would a scopelevel be a good investment,like the one that attaches to a tube and has the level with the bubble. At MidwayUSA they're on sale for $25 but I have little $3 level I bought. What would be the best way to rig the level I have on the scope?Thanks.  Forgot another question. I have the high rings on the rifle now and there is at least a 1/2" gap between the bell and the barrel. I know that I can get the scope lower than that. Would low or medium rings be okay? |